Photographer's Note

Divers call mantis shrimp "thumb splitters." The impact from a blow from the claws and head is only slightly less than the impact of a .22 caliber bullet.

Mantis shrimp can grow up to about ten inches in length and are fast moving. They eat crabs, anemones, and fish, among other things, and if kept in an aquarium with other fish, they will eventually eat them all. They dig burrows and live in crevices in reefs and rocks.

There are two types of Mantis Shrimp; One armed with a hammerlike club while the other,armed with a sharp spear. The Mantis Shrimp in the photo is the later.

You could find these oversized carnivorous shrimps in mangrove swamps along the coast of Sandakan, Semporna and Tawau. Just watch your steps when you go traipsing in this waters.